Hand luggage



Jan.19,1943. Q H WHEARY, JR 2,309,029

HAND LUGGAGE Filed May 2, 1942 Patented Jan. 19, 1943 HAND LUGGAGE George Henry Wheary,

to Wheary Trunk Company,

poration of Wisconsin Application May 2, 1942, Serial No. 441,467

4 Claims.

This invention relates to hand luggage and refers particularly to luggage cases of the soft luggage class.

Hand luggage of this type has a characteristic pliability or softness which gives it attractially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention mai7 be made as come within the scope of the claim-s.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a hand lugl gage case embodying this invention, parts thereof being broken away to ilustrate structural details;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view through part of the Figure l on the plane of the line 2 2; and

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 3-3.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numerals 5 and 6 designate the two complementary hingedly connected sections which together comprise the luggage case. The hinge connection between these sections is along the bottom, as is customary.

Each section has a flat side wall 1, at end walls 8 and a top wall 9 which is flat throughout substantially its entire area except for its rounded juncture I0 with the side wall. All of these walls are formed of pliable material, preferably leather. However, any other suitable material having the characteristics of leather can be employed.

The junctures of the side and end Walls, as best illustrated in Figure 3, are formed by sewtop of the case, taken through Racine, Wis., assignor Racine, Wis., a coring the inturned edges of the side and end walls together with a reinforcing bead II therebetween. This conventional manner of joining the side and end walls results in an inwardly directed edge portion I2. This edge portion I2 cooperates with a similar edge I3 to hold a stiil reinforcing insert I4 in place.

The edges I3 are formed by the attachment of metal reinforcing bands I5 to the marginal edges of the case sections. The bands I5 are encased in leather, the inner edges of which are sewed to the adjacent marginal portions of the case sections which results in the edges I3.

As is customary the metal reinforcing bands I5 on the two case sections are complementary to each other and provide a telescoping joint between the sections.

The reinforcing inserts I4, one of which overlies each end wall of each case section, are preferably formed of stiff fiber and are of such width as to fit snugly between and under the edges I2 and I3 so that no further securement is necessary other than the lining I6 which is glued to the insides of the case sections. (The lining IS is not shown in Figures l and 2.)

The reinforcing inserts I4 do not necessarily extend for the full height of the end walls but cover the major area thereof and by virtue of their extension across the full width of the end walls they support the corner edges of the case sections against inward deformation.

Other stiff reinforcing inserts I'I are located under the top walls 9 of the case sections. These inserts are preferably formed of wood and consist of flat top panels I8 and rounded edge members I9. They extend for substantially the full length of the top walls and are substantially coextensive in area with the top walls. Like the inserts I4 these top wall reinforcing inserts are held in place only along their opposite marginal edges. To this end the rounded edge members are secured to the side walls 1 by suitable fabric strips 20 glued to the edge portions I9 of the inserts and to the adjacent inner surfaces of the side walls, and their opposite marginal edges are held in place by handle attaching rivets 2| or the like.

The handle fastenings 2| pass through the top walls of the case sections and through the flat panels of the reinforcing inserts underlying the same and rmly secure the handles 22 to the top walls of the sections adjacent to the metal reinforcing bands I5.

Attention is directed to the presence of the slight space between the top wall reinforcing inserts l1 and the adjacent top walls and rounded edges I0. As a consequence, the reinforcing inserts guard against objectionable inward deformation of these walls of the case sections but in a manner which does not result in loss of the characteristic pliability of a soft luggage case.

Likewise the attachment of the end Wall inserts I6 along only their vertical edges provides the desired reinforcing Without losing the characteristic pliability of a soft luggage case.

Attention is directed to the fact that the top inserts l'l, by virtue of the handle fastenings being anchored thereto, help distribute the lifting force over the area of the top walls; and that the adjacent edges of the top inserts abut shoulders 23 and 24 formed by the marginal reinforcing bands. This helps guard against possible shifting of the reinforcing inserts.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention provides a substantial improvement in hand luggage of the soft luggage class and that it affords a degree of rigidity for such luggage heretofore entirely lacking, Without losing any of the characteristic softness and pliability of a hand luggage case.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a hand luggage case of the soft luggage class: complementary hingedly connected sections each having its walls formed of pliable material such as leather, said sections having meeting walls which interlock and conjointly form the top of the case in its carrying position; reinforcing inserts under'said top walls terminating at the ends of the sections and shaped to have their outer surfaces closely adjacent to but spaced from said top walls and the junctures of the top walls with the adjacent side walls so as to support the top walls against inward deformation without losing the characteristie pliability of a soft luggage case and to assist in maintaining the interlocking relationship between the sections; and handles secured to 'the insert of each section adjacent to the meeting edges of the sections whereby lifting strain is transmitted to said reinforcing inserts.

2. In a hand luggage case of the soft luggage class: complementary hingedly connected sections each having its walls formed of pliable material such as leather yand having meeting walls which conjointly form the top of the case in its carrying position; reinforcing inserts under said top walls, said inserts being substantially coextensive with the top walls and being shaped to follow the contour of the junctures of the top walls with the side walls; handles for the case; handle attaching means anchored to the inserts so that the inserts are held in place thereby and the lifting strain is transmitted to the inserts, said handle attaching means being spaced a substantial distance from the junctures of the top walls with the side walls so that the securement of the inserts provided thereby leaves the inserts relatively free from the top Walls of the sections; and means for holding the inserts to the side walls, said last-named means and the handle attaching means being the only attachment of the inserts to :the walls of the sections so that the inserts are free from the walls throughout their major area whereby the inserts support the said walls against objectionable inward deformation without losing the characteristic pliability of a soft luggage case.

3. In a hand luggage case of the soft luggage class: complementary hingedly connected sections each having its walls formed of soft pliable material such as leather and having meeting walls which conjointly form the top of the case in its carrying position, the junctures of said top walls with the adjacent side walls of the case being rounded; inserts under said top walls to support the same against deformation, said inserts having fiat wall sections under the top walls of the case and rounded edge portions under the rounded edges forming the junctures between the top walls and the adjacent side walls; means for attaching the rounded edge portions of the inserts to the side walls; and means securing the flat wall sections of the inserts to the top walls of the case at localized areas near the edges of the inserts opposite their rounded edges, said `attachment of the inserts leaving a slight space between them and the overlying wallsI of the case so that said walls are supported against objectionable inward deformation without losing the characteristic pliability of a soft luggage case.

4. In a hand luggage case of the soft luggage class: complementary hingedly connected sections having meeting walls which conjointly form the top of the case in its carrying position, other meeting walls which conjointly form the opposite ends of the case, and substantially flat side walls, all of said walls being of pliable material such as leather; stiff reinforcing inserts under said top walls; stil reinforcing inserts under the end walls, said inserts extending substantially for the full width of said top and end walls; and means for holding said inserts in place, said means being confined to the edges of the inserts and holding the inserts slightly spaced from the overlying outer walls so that the case is reinforced against objectionable inward deformation and collapsing without losing the characteristic pliability of a soft luggage case.

GEORGE HENRY VHEARY, JR. 

